Friday, October 26, 2018

Welcome to the first rockfish newsletter!
NOAA Fisheries West Coast has launched the first edition of its Rockfish
Conservation Newsletter to update us about the work being done by NOAA
and partners to conserve rockfish and their habitats. The first edition
includes articles about counting rockfish, kelp conservation, and some
news links about kelp.

Salish Sea Communications blog:I’m voting. Should you?
I got my ballot in the mail and I’m sure you got yours, too. I’m going
to vote but the candidates won’t know why I voted so I think it’s
important that I say what I mean with my vote.... if you and I stand
together on what we want this country to do and to be, please vote, too.
Otherwise, don’t vote. (read more)

Washington volcanoes remain among the most dangerous in the country, new report says
Four Washington volcanoes remain among some of the most dangerous in the
country, according to an updated threat analysis by the U.S. Geological
Survey. USGS’s National Volcanic Threat Assessment was updated for the
first time since 2005 after it reassessed how volcanoes are scored and
ranked. In all, 166 volcanoes were ranked with a threat level of very
low, low, moderate, high or very high. While the change to ranking
criteria resulted in a number of volcanoes being dropped, added or moved
around the list, none of those changes affected the “very high” ranking
of the state’s major volcanoes, including Mount St. Helens, which comes
at No. 2, just behind Kilauea, which spewed lava on Hawaii’s Big Island
for weeks earlier this year. Three other Washington volcanoes are
ranked “very high”: Mount Rainier, ranked 3rd, Mount Baker, ranked 14th,
followed by Glacier Peak at 15. Agueda Pacheco-Flores reports. (Seattle
Times)

B.C. ferry snags fishing net, and small boat, near Nanaimo
BC Ferries says it will be speaking with Fisheries and Oceans Canada
after a ferry snagged a partially submerged fishing net Wednesday in
waters off Nanaimo. Ferry corporation spokeswoman Deborah Marshall says
the Queen of Alberni was travelling between the mainland and Duke Point,
south of Nanaimo, when it caught a net near Entrance Island. Marshall
says about 75 boats were taking part in a fisheries opening in the area
and although the captain slowed the ferry to ensure safe passage, one
net was poorly marked and became fouled in the ship’s propeller. No one
was hurt and the propeller was not damaged but Marshall says the small
boat that set the net was towed backward by the ferry until the line
between the boat and the net snapped. (Canadian Press)

Seattle caught between tribal rights and protecting its water supply
By early fall, Chester Morse Lake is barely visible from the top of
Rattlesnake Ledge. As the snowmelt runs dry, the lake recedes deeper
into the Cedar River Watershed, settling behind the forests and
foothills that lie east of Seattle and just south of I-90...[The]
watershed is one of only five sources in the country so clean they do
not require expensive filtration systems to strain out sediment and
other impurities. While most of the region’s residents may only enjoy
the watershed from a distance, the borders are slightly more porous for
enrolled members of the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe. As part of a
hard-fought settlement agreement between the tribe and the city in 2006,
members are allowed limited access for traditional purposes — the
gathering of firewood and other resources, as well as some hunting and
fishing. This was their right, after all, guaranteed in treaties from
the mid-1800s, and entrance was reaffirmed as part of a broader package
of reparations in 2006. But 12 years after signing on to the agreement —
seen at the time as historic in its focus and scope — the city and the
tribe have still never fully defined the rights of entry for the
Muckleshoot tribe. David Kroman reports. (Crosscut)

First Nations 'deeply frustrated' after B.C. Supreme Court dismisses Site C injunction
The West Moberly First Nations have lost a bid for an injunction order
against B.C. Hydro's Site C dam project, meaning construction can
continue. On Wednesday, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Warren Milman
rejected the bid, saying an injunction order would send the project into
"disarray." At the core of the case is West Moberly's argument that the
multi-billion dollar BC Hydro dam will cause irreparable harm to its
territory and way of life — rights protected under Treaty 8. The nation,
along with Prophet River, has previously said it believes Site C
constitutes a $1 billion treaty violation. (West Moberly is one of the
few nations in B.C. that is party to a numbered treaty in Canada.) (CBC)

European Parliament Approves Ban On Single-Use Plastics
The European Parliament voted on Wednesday to enact a complete ban on
some single-use plastics — such as drinking straws and disposable
cutlery — across the European Union and a reduction on others in an
effort to reduce ocean waste. Members of the European Parliament passed
the measure overwhelmingly, by a vote of 571 to 53, with 34 abstentions.
Before the legislation goes into effect, the European Parliament must
negotiate with the European Council of government ministers from its
member states. The council is expected to make a decision on Dec. 16.
Emily Sullivan reports. (NPR)

Anacortes refinery operating under new ownership
The Marathon Petroleum refinery in Anacortes, which formerly operated as
Andeavor, will see little change in its day-to-day operations following
its merger with Marathon Petroleum Corporation, refinery spokesperson
Matt Gill said. The sale was finalized earlier this month. The $23.2
billion sale of Andeavor to Marathon was first announced in April. The
sale means the company will have a capacity of 3 million barrels of oil a
day, Gill said, making it the top refiner by capacity in the United
States. Together, operations span 41 states and parts of Mexico.
Julia-Grace Sanders reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

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About Me

Salish Sea Communications provides communications and public relations services that raise visibility and engage audiences. Drawing on over 30 years experience in private, public and not-for-profit work, Mike Sato brings to you his skills and insights in developing and carrying out your print, electronic and social media projects and products. "I've been in the communications business since 1977 starting with community weekly newspapers then working for Seattle City Light, the Puget Sound Water Quality Authority, Hawaiian Electric Company and, for 20 years, People For Puget Sound." Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told. WA State UBI #601395482